32MONICA’S POV.My heart seemed to jump and I was out of words as I saw him seated on the sofa cross-legged. He was as elegant as an Alpha should be. His aura was all around the place and he was handsome.His beauty was so fierce that my heart started to tremble. What if I said the wrong thing? What if he didn’t like me? What if he didn’t want to have anything to do with a woman?A lot of ‘what ifs’ went through my mind but I shook my head and brushed it off. He was going to like me. What was there not to like in me? I was perfect. I was the heartthrob of every man in my father’s domain. So there was no way in hell he wasn’t finding me attractive.He turned, noticing my presence and looked at me. I let out a light gasp as our eyes met and it seemed like fate at that moment. He wasn’t my mate but the feeling I felt in my heart was a roaring feeling. It was like a burst of fireworks. We were meant for each other. We were a perfect match.There was nothing pulling us apart. I was meant

34MONICA’S POV.“What?” I asked in shock. Why was it not going to work. “What did you do, dad?’ I asked with disgust all over my face.“He’s not ready. He didn’t even look like he had the time for that so I’m going to advice you Monica to focus on finding your mate as soon as…”“He’s my mate! Nobody tells me what to do and what not to do. I will marry him, I will convince him. Does he know all the years I’ve wasted loving him? Does he know all my hopes and dreams of him? Daddy, I’m not letting him go!”“Monica!” My dad called sharply and I folded my arms and threw my face away from him. My competitive spirit was sparked. I was going to get Lucien no matter what.“How many days is he spending here?” I asked, turning to him.“Just two. Monica, listen to me…”“Alright Dad, I’ve heard you. You want me to find my mate right? I have heard you but hearing you is not the same as agreeing to it. I will think about it and I’m very sure I’m going to succumb to my own decisions so don’t hope on

36MONICA’S POV.My smile widened as I walked away from the guest rooms. I hadn’t lost. I was winning, because if it took the world to get a man like Lucien, I would give it. I would sincerely apologize to him the next day and act like I didn’t know a thing about seduction. There was no way he would still see me as cheap if that was what he was seeing me as at the moment. He would only think of me as naïve and innocent and that was good for me because men loved the naïve and innocent girls, and it wasn’t my first time playing the naïve and innocent girl just to get what I wanted.The next morning, I woke up with a smile. Instead of the nightmare I had lied to Lucien that I had, I had had a sweet dream where we were holding our very own mating ceremony. The important people in the surrounding Alpha Kingdoms were invited and their daughters gazed at me with jealousy burning deep in their eyes as they watched Lucien mark me as his mate.I hadn’t wanted to open my eyes until light suddenl

38MONICA’S POVI stared at those papers with a large smile forming on my face.“I’ll take my leave.” My maid said, bowing low as she exited moved backwards to exit my room..“How… how did you get this?” I asked I’m awe as I turned the papers over.“What can I say? I’m a bit of a genius. I did a little digging and discovered he was a professor. I can use that medium to tell him to tutor you in some subjects, and the rest us up to you.” She told me as she went to sit on my bed.“You knew my plans to get him didn’t work?” I asked, lowering my lashes, and she sighed.“He’s so tough. I could see every attempt you made simply bounced off him like he was a wall. I needed to create more opportunities for you. There is absolutely no way he would reject an offer of teaching you.”“I really hope he doesn’t because I discovered he’s quite different. Mom, he doesn’t see all I do, he’s cold, distant and doesn’t even lust after me.” I explained, going to sit on the bed next to her.“He’s a differen

40LUCIEN’S POV.I immediately turned back into my house, locking the door. What the hell was Monica doing in my street? How did she get to choose this place in all the unoccupied houses in New Orleans?Then I clenched my fists as I began to suspect it for what it was. It had been planned, and Angelou was definitely in on it. Whether or not she had deliberately made it to New Orleans, I knew she coming to live as a neighbor was definitely deliberate. Did she think I’d ever look at her? Did she think I was going to fall in love with her or pronounce her as my mate if I saw her on a daily basis?I called women like her leeches because they stuck on so hard, refusing to leave unless certain measures were taken against them, and that was very annoying. I thought I had escaped her by leaving her domain, who knew she’d follow me all the way to where I lived?A low snarl left me and I went back out the door, locking it securely. People like her were the type who would happily break into some